Residents are stil seething that they were ignored and have complained to the Council as the developer "forgot" at the planning committee the number of flats they had applied for and quoted only 5 instead of the correct amount on the application for 9 and no one queried. Permission was granted for 9 flats many of which do not have access to the outdoor space and will have to have frosted fixed roof windows at the rear to protect the privacy of the neighbours.

Council consultation on social care services.28/06/2019 16:18:00.......Posted by Margaret Bird

News release No. PR 14187Date: 26 June 2019

For Immediate Release

More financial choice planned over adult social care

A consultation has gone live today (Wednesday) on proposals to give more Croydon adults greater financial independence and control over the council social care services they use.

In October, the council’s cabinet will decide whether to approve plans to make it easier and faster for local people to access personalised care budgets called Direct Payments. These allow eligible service users to have greater day-to-day control over the care they receive.

Between today and 16 August, the council wants to hear from service users or their carers on plans to cut the red tape and paperwork involved in Direct Payments. Around 600 adults are currently signed up in Croydon to Direct Payments, with up to another 4,000 borough residents who qualify but have not yet taken it up.

Direct Payments can be paid to either the person needing social care or someone else acting on their behalf to buy the care and support they need. Those who are unable to or who choose not have a Direct Payment will still receive all their care arranged by the council.

To make it easier for eligible residents to apply for Direct Payments, the proposed changes include:

• An agency that finds and trains personal assistants that will provide care and support to some people with a Direct Payment• More choice via a new directory of care and support services• Greater flexibility on how residents can spend their Direct Payments• Support with a new online booking and registration system• An opt-out available to those who prefer not to go online

Service users agree a support plan with the council that sets out what their Direct Payments can be spent on and is tailored to their individual needs. Depending on someone’s circumstances, Direct Payments can be spent on help and support including personal care, finances, socialising and respite. They cannot be spent on food and drink, anything illegal or harmful, household bills, private medical treatment or residential care.

Councillor Jane Avis, Croydon Council’s cabinet member for families, health and social care, said: “We’re proposing these changes so people receiving adult social care services get greater choice and independence over their day-to-day lives. What we want from this consultation are ideas and suggestions from residents, their loved ones and their carers so this new council policy is the best it can be when it goes for cabinet approval in the autumn. I urge anyone affected by these proposals to give us their feedback.”

For more information, visit the consultation on the [croydon.gov.uk/directpayment_consultation%20]council website.

Be aware that despite there being no buses scheduled to use the bus lane on Farthing Way there is a camera and TFL are issuing fines.

Opening of Emergency Department at Croydon University Hospital20/05/2019 13:37:00.......Posted by Margaret Bird

Cllr Margaret Bird joined Cllr Yvette Hopley, Chris Philp MP when Matt Hancock Minister of Health & Social Care officially opened the new Emergency Department at Croydon University Hospital today, funded by £21m from a Conservative Government caring for the NHS.

New parking policy28/04/2019 17:35:00.......Posted by Margaret Bird

Croydon on are planning on introducing a new parking policy which may affect you.

Friends of Grange Park today held their annual fundraising Eggstravaganza to raise funds for a perimeter path around Grange Park. Over 500 children participated in the Easter egg trail and received a chocolate Easter Egg upon completion and Cllr Margaret Bird was delighted to have helped on the Easter Egg Trail stall.7

I am writing to inform you that Network Rail is upgrading Coulsdon South station. We will be installing lifts to the platforms and a new footbridge to provide step free access at Coulsdon South for the first time. This will make the station much easier to use for passengers with mobility issues, older people and parents with young children.

This work is being delivered by Network Rail as part of the Department for Transport’s Access for All programme.

The improvement work will take place at the station from the 28th May 2019 and is due to be completed by early 2020.

The work will involve installing new passenger lifts to provide step free access to both platforms at Coulsdon South station. Our working hours will typically be Monday to Friday from 07:00hrs – 19:00hrs.

However, there may be some occasions when it is necessary, due to the nature of the work to work outside of these hours. This includes working at night or over weekends when the trains are not running.

We will be holding a drop-in session on the 1st May 2019 from 16:00hrs until 19:00hrs at Coulsdon South station ticket hall, where representatives from the project team will be available to discuss our plans.

To facilitate this work and to maintain the safety of both members of the public and our contractor working on site we will need to suspend up to 20 parking bays and the footpath next to the car park will be closed. The diversion route will be via A237 Brighton Road. From Thursday 5th September to Tuesday 10th September, the whole of the station car park will be closed to allow us to install the footbridge.

Posters will be displayed in and around the station to provide further information on this work. These will include artist’s impressions and diagrams of how the station will look upon completion.

We understand the effect our activities may have on the local community and we can assure you that our teams are briefed on working responsibly in the local community. We will endeavour to keep any noise to an absolute minimum, though some disturbance may be unavoidable due to the nature of the work.

Greg Thompson

Public Affairs Manager

South East Route

litter pick 06/04/2019 14:46:00.......Posted by Margaret Bird

Productive litter pick in Old Coulsdon this morning by Old Coulsdon Cupcakes Including Cllr Margaret Bird and Cllr Steve Hollands to support ⁦KeepBritainTidy⁩ GBSpringClean. 44 bags of unnecessary litter collected. Please keep our village clean and take your litter home with you or put in a street bin. Anyone can organise a litter pick . Details are on the Councils website. They will provide litter pickers gloves bags and bag rings , wipes and hi viz vests and will take away the bags too.

An application at 24 Coulsdon Court Road for a 3 storey house and 8 flats in two more buildings in the garden of an existing property has been refused as UNDERDEVELOPMENT of the site.

The covenants on this road state not more than one building per plot yet this Labour Council ignore this and call for OVERDEVELOPMENT instead and ignore the 88 objections already received.

Labour Cllr Paul Scott has previously called for the South of the Borough to be concreted over showing his jealousy for the green spaces which help our residents to live with less pollution and promote a healthy living environment that Labour are always saying they are seeking. Their actions show this is yet another lie from this administration.

Please do contact us with any issues or concerns you may have. We answer all our constituents' correspondence and value your comments. If you want your concern addressed by your local team, please follow the link above.